The Toledo War: The First Michigan-Ohio Rivalry

by Don Faber

"An engaging account of the Toledo War of 1835, a serious confrontation whose outcome established the borders of the state of Michigan. Faber expertly narrates the history of a dispute conducted by fascinating characters practicing political shenanigans of the highest order."
---Andrew Cayton, author of Ohio: The History of a People and a general editor of The American Midwest: An Interpretive Encyclopedia
Most are familiar with the Michigan-Ohio football rivalry, an intense but usually good-natured contest that stretches back over one hundred years. Yet far fewer may know that in the early nineteenth century Michigan and Ohio were locked in a different kind of battle---one that began before Michigan became a state. The conflict started with a long-simmering dispute over a narrow wedge of land called the Toledo Strip. Early maps were famously imprecise, adding to the uncertainty of the true boundary between the states. When Ohio claimed to the mouth of the Maumee River, land that according to the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 fell in the territory of Michigan, the "Toledo War" began. Today the fight may bring a smile to Michiganians and Ohioans because both states benefited: Ohioans won the war and Michigan got the Upper Peninsula. But back then passions about rightful ownership ran high, and it would take many years---and colorful personalities all the way up to presidents---to settle the dispute. The Toledo War: The First Michigan-Ohio Rivalry gives a well-researched and fascinating account of the famous war. Don Faber is best known as the former editor of the Ann Arbor News . He also served on the staff of the Michigan Constitutional Convention, won a Ford Foundation Fellowship to work in the Michigan Senate, and was a speechwriter for Michigan governor George Romney. Now retired, Faber lives in Ann Arbor with his wife, Jeannette, and indulges in his love of Michigan history.

Genres: History, American History

232 pages, Paperback

First published October 10, 2008

Reviews

[Jim Pindell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seemed a little biased

[JP · Rating 4 out of 5]

All that trash talk between the valiant Michigan Wolverines and the hopeful Ohio State Buckeyes actually derives from a real conflict that occurred between the two states in the 1830s. The Toledo War concerned the "Toledo strip," 470 square miles along the Ohio-Michigan border valued primarily for the connection of the Maumee River into Lake Erie. Through a combination of multiple surveys, political jockeying, and different interpretations of the Northwest Ordinance, the ownership of this stretch of landed was contested for several years. With Michigan's bid for statehood at stake during the contest, Ohio outmaneuvered and ultimately won. However, Michigan gained much more in being granted much of the Upper Peninsula as part of the compromise. The story is especially of interest to people like me, whose family roots originate in that disputed tract of land, but anyone will appreciate how historian Don Faber explains the whole matter for an enjoyable account. Ohio's savvy Governor Lucas faced off against Michigan's young Governor Mason. Their militias ultimately skirmished as well, though never to the scale that we would today consider "war." In course, propaganda sparked the origins of the two university rival's mascots. The multi-year conflict involved some comical militia, police and legal capers. I'll leave the telling to the expert, but there were two other items I found interesting. First, there were multiple surveys to determine the proper line. One of the later efforts was conducted by Army engineer Robert E. Lee. Second, Ohio wasn't officially admitted as a state until 1953. A resolution was quickly passed to dot that i when it was realized the necessary step had been missed back in 1803.

[Chandler Herson · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an archaeologist and historian, I couldn't wait to pick up this book and delve into it. However, as an Ohioan, the book appeared to come off one sided as the author (a native Michigander) seems to come across as one sided with his arguments. After researching the history myself with every subsequent chapter (and as much as it pains me to say this), the author gives an accurate account.

The only thing that ruined this book for me was the ending which seems to stretch out and make continually jabs about the State of Ohio: the comment about Ohio not legally being a state until 1953 seemed a piece that could have been left out, but the final part of the "Lost Penninsula" was interesting but seemed like a section that could have been left out. The last thing is that while he cites his sources, he doesn't mark them in each chapter making me wonder why the editor didn't point this out to the author during the final draft process.

[Brumaire Bodbyl-Mast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faber once served as Governor Romney’s speechwriter, and that sort of old, greatest generation style of humor shows throughout this work. Very lighthearted overview of the locally famous border dispute between the State of Ohio and the Territory of Michigan, the work is a fun read if overly biased towards the Wolverine side (understandably so.) Faber describes the “war” as a sort of comic opera, to which I am inclined to agree- Mason as the heroic, if rapacious tenor, Cass and Jackson, his hesitant baritone mentors, and the cruel Governor Lucas as bass- manipulating the naive population of Toledo towards his nasty schemes of canal work.

[Justin Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read but a bit choppy and repetitive at times. This made it a bit of a hard read at first, but once you figure out what the author is doing it smooths out. I was very interested in the book being from Toledo and I think this is what made me rate it as I did. (More like 3.5 stars) I think that someone who was not from the area might not have as much interest and may give it a 2 to 3 star rating. I will not spoil, but there were some very interesting bits of information that were in the book that would interest people beyond just us locals. I am glad I read the book and am happy with the interesting new information it gave me about the area I have grown up in, lived in, and loved.

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book gets the second star for containing information that I was looking for about the 1835 border dispute between the state of Ohio and the territory of Michigan--a potentially very interesting and lively story. However, this book is virtually unreadable, mostly because it hops around so much chronologically--chapter to chapter, paragraph to paragraph, and sometimes even sentence to sentence. It takes a massive effort to understand what happened when. This means that it also repeats itself a lot and occasionally makes what seems to be a second reference to something that hasn't actually been mentioned. A mess.

[Paulette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for The National Museum of the Great Lakes book club February ZOOM. Information I never knew about a war that took years and years to complete including the naming of those residents from the state up north as wolverines by Ohioans in this border dispute. You're welcome University of Michigan folks.

[Tahassett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Organization of chapters necessitates repetition of facts. Find yourself thinking, you already told me that twice before.

[Jason S · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting account, but very, very repetitive in spots. Could have been 4 chapters.

[Brandon Hafeli · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting history, but as others have said, repetitive. It seems like the author re-explains how the two lines came into being every time they get mentioned.